Gentlemen,
I was born and raised in the Philippine Islands, so I know very well that particular point of history that BA was talking about. It was the pacification campaign of the island of Mindanao after the Philippine insurrection (also known to the Filipinos as the Philippine American War) of 1898-1902. The 3rd largest part of the Philippine archipelago. The Spaniards never did control the hinterlands of that island and every expedition that tried it got bushwacked. Of course the Moros would stage raids at the coastal towns which were controlled by the Spaniards. The fact that the coastal towns were Roman Catholic and the Moros are Muslims didn't enter into the equation. *smirk*
Now the Americans got into the act. The orders were to bring these "banditti" under control... the methods weren't specified. All of the regular officers are veterans of the Plains Wars. It's a simple tactical choice. Either surrender peacefully or get wiped out. Brigadier General "Howling Mad" Jake's solution to the revolt at Samar Island in the same time frame was exactly that. Kill every male on the island capable of firing and carrying a rifle...I'll let you decide how low the age limit was for that operation.
As a Filipino high school student, I was horrified by that operation. As an ex-U.S Army officer, I can neither approve or condemn what they did. But you can't fault the effectiveness of the operation and the methods they used didn't raise an outrage in the States at that time.
Genocide is a very good historical option, but one option which is not going to be used by the U.S. The costs would exceed the benefits.
As to BA being worse than the thing he opposes, I doubt that. Remember, Bin Laden declared war on the U.S in 1998. The Taliban supported him on that. I'm of the mindset of let them hate us as long as they fear us. They want war, let's give them war. That or follow Spain's example. Pulled out of Iraq when Al-Quida bombed their train stations.
__________________
Into terror!, Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell
I was born and raised in the Philippine Islands, so I know very well that particular point of history that BA was talking about. It was the pacification campaign of the island of Mindanao after the Philippine insurrection (also known to the Filipinos as the Philippine American War) of 1898-1902. The 3rd largest part of the Philippine archipelago. The Spaniards never did control the hinterlands of that island and every expedition that tried it got bushwacked. Of course the Moros would stage raids at the coastal towns which were controlled by the Spaniards. The fact that the coastal towns were Roman Catholic and the Moros are Muslims didn't enter into the equation. *smirk*
Now the Americans got into the act. The orders were to bring these "banditti" under control... the methods weren't specified. All of the regular officers are veterans of the Plains Wars. It's a simple tactical choice. Either surrender peacefully or get wiped out. Brigadier General "Howling Mad" Jake's solution to the revolt at Samar Island in the same time frame was exactly that. Kill every male on the island capable of firing and carrying a rifle...I'll let you decide how low the age limit was for that operation.
As a Filipino high school student, I was horrified by that operation. As an ex-U.S Army officer, I can neither approve or condemn what they did. But you can't fault the effectiveness of the operation and the methods they used didn't raise an outrage in the States at that time.
Genocide is a very good historical option, but one option which is not going to be used by the U.S. The costs would exceed the benefits.
As to BA being worse than the thing he opposes, I doubt that. Remember, Bin Laden declared war on the U.S in 1998. The Taliban supported him on that. I'm of the mindset of let them hate us as long as they fear us. They want war, let's give them war. That or follow Spain's example. Pulled out of Iraq when Al-Quida bombed their train stations.
__________________
Into terror!, Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell